Press.

Concert with The Göteborg Opera Orchestra and Kroumata
Listen to the World! ISCM World New Music Days 2009
Friday 2 October at 18.00 at Göteborgs Konserthus

During the ‘Listen to the World! ISCM World New Music Days’ festival The Göteborg Opera Orchestra will be giving a concert with visiting percussion ensemble, Kroumata. The concert will take place in Göteborgs Konserthus under the direction of the Norwegian conductor, Christina Eggen. The programme includes music from Iceland, China/the US, Japan and Denmark.

The introductory piece of the evening, Icelandic Áskell Másson’s Ora, was written for the percussion ensemble Kroumata, who will also be performing it. The title Ora, which means coast in Latin, alludes to the sea that surrounds Iceland on all sides. There are two Icelandic folk songs included as part of the work.

Pui-shan Cheung’s (China/the US) Dai Pai Dong was named after the traditional street kitchens that are part of the culture of Hong Kong. The music is divided into three parts according to the way of cooking: first the wok is heated, then the main ingredients are put in and finally the spices. The music is dominated by two contrasting themes that are both Cantonese.

Harue Kunieda’s (Japan) Peace on Earth, a citation from Pope Johannes XXIII’s letter “Pacem in Terris”, has its starting point in, on one hand, the enormous threats that the world is faced with and, on the other hand, the passivity of the people. This work is a satirical song in which the title is performed in eight languages.
Soprano: Tora Augstad. Harp: Jessica Breitlow.

Jesper Koch’s Snedronningen (The Snow Queen) was inspired by H.C. Andersen’s saga of the same name. Jesper Koch works in the tradition of the classical symphonic poets à la Richard Strauss, with effects that create images and atmosphere. Two well-known Danish hymns named in the saga have also been incorporated with the music.